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Woman airlifted after 100-yard slope slide
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An Oxnard woman who was hiking alone and slipped down a rocky slope in Point Mugu State Park was airlifted Sunday afternoon by a Sheriff's Department helicopter.
Maria Hernandez, 53, was scared but not injured when she slid about 100 yards down a steep shale slope in the Santa Monica Mountains above Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean, Sheriff's Capt. Dave Kenney said.
"She lost her footing and was pretty frightened," he said. "She didn't want to attempt to walk out alone."
The woman called 911 from her cell phone. She was fitted with a rescue harness by a paramedic lowered from the helicopter.
Both were hoisted into the helicopter. She was dropped off about 1 p.m. at the trail head where her vehicle was parked, where she was re-examined before being released, Kenney said.
"Having a friend while hiking is always a good thing," he said. "At least she had cell phone service."
Posted by mikesmason on April 21, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
100 yard slide down shale slope, hoisted into a helicopter, helicopter ride. I want a turn. Where is this slope exactly?
Posted by socalromans on April 21, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Having a friend while hiking is always a good thing," he said. "At least she had cell phone service."
Having a brain while hiking is a good thing too!
I hope she gets the bill for the copter ride.
I'd hate to see my tax dollars being used to shuttle frightened hikers around in helicopters!
So much for the adventurous spirit!
Posted by drandel on April 21, 2008 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's SO comforting to know that there are PERFECT people out there like socalromans and mikesmason who have NEVER done anything foolish in their lives. O perfect ones, in the remote chance that you're ever in trouble due to your own foolishness, I know you won't burden society by calling 911 for help. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ... yeah, right.
Kudos to our Ventura County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team members. Thanks for being there!
Posted by socalromans on April 21, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Perfect? no.
But I've been on Mt. Baldy in whiteout conditions and WALKED out.
I got turned around on the PCT in Kennedy Meadows and WALKED until I found my truck...
What if a motorcyclist had gone down around the same time and needed chopper 7 to save his/her life?
They would've bleed to death because this woman was SCARED and called in a rescue on her cell phone!
Get real. Charge her for the flight time and she'll think twice before calling in air support...and so will you!
Then our valiant Sheriff Deputies can save those whose lives are in danger...not waste their valuable time on stray sheep.
Posted by jeff93024 on April 21, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm happy that the woman is safe, and I hope she learned something.
That said, I think it's important to note that most of us over a certain age are the descendants of thousands of generations of people who learned to safeguard their own lives without ever having had the benefit of a cell phone. Most of us who are over 35 to 40 years of age fall into the same category, don't we? We left the house on a summer morning when we were kids, hiked or rode to East Podunk and back, and managed to get ourselves out of some really serious binds without having been able to dial 911.
It's a big mistake to go anywhere and everywhere you want to go without thinking and planning ahead (and assessing your own capabilities), because it will be a long, long, time before cell phone service is available in every canyon, desert, river, beach and mountainside.
Posted by fish on April 21, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You couldn't have said it better, Jeff !
Whether its a cell phone, or something else, people have really gotten into this mode of "help me", and, "its not my fault", now someone get me out of this mess. People need to wake-up and realize that they are responsible for their own messes. Just like these tools that signed mortgages with adjustable rates, or ballon payments. And then they act all surprised that it actually happened and then they want the Government to bail them out. Same people !!!
Wake up !!!!!
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